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Overview

In the most thorough attempt to cover all aspects of children's make-believe, Dorothy and Jerome Singer examine how imaginative play begins and develops, from the infant's first smiles to the toddler's engagement in social pretend play. They provide intriguing examples and research evidence on the young child's invocation of imaginary friends, the adolescent's daring, rule-governed games, and the adult's private imagery and inner thought. In chapters that will be important to parents and policymakers, the authors discuss television and the imagination, the healing function of play, and the effects of playfulness and creativity throughout the life span.

Editorial Reviews

Readings&#58; A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health

A thoughtfully organized and well-written book. The use of the wonderful biographical material, together with the anecdotal cultural materials, makes the book interesting and entertaining to read despite the enormous amount of research cited... It is by far the broadest and most comprehensive book on play and imagination that is currently available.
— David Elkind

Times Educational Supplement

A stimulating and scholarly presentation of... an important area of human existence.
— Nicholas Tucker

Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health
- David Elkind

A thoughtfully organized and well-written book. The use of the wonderful biographical material, together with the anecdotal cultural materials, makes the book interesting and entertaining to read despite the enormous amount of research cited... It is by far the broadest and most comprehensive book on play and imagination that is currently available.

Times Educational Supplement
- Nicholas Tucker

A stimulating and scholarly presentation of... an important area of human existence.

Times Educational Supplement

A stimulating and scholarly presentation of... an important area of human existence.
— Nicholas Tucker

Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health

A thoughtfully organized and well-written book. The use of the wonderful biographical material, together with the anecdotal cultural materials, makes the book interesting and entertaining to read despite the enormous amount of research cited... It is by far the broadest and most comprehensive book on play and imagination that is currently available.
— David Elkind

Library Journal

The Singers theorize that children who have supportive persons, places, times, and props for imaginative play develop long-term adult creativity. To uphold this theory, they synthesize observations of life experiences and research results, correlating play experiences with sex differences, emotional development, imaginary friends, cognitive and language skills, and therapeutic values. They also suggest areas needing further study. Parents will be able to extract some insightful information, especially from the chapter on television and the imagination. However, this is most useful for child development students and professionals.-- Nancy M. Laskowski, Free Lib. of Philadelphia

Booknews

Psychologists Dorothy (U. of Bridgeport) and Jerome (Yale) Singer examine the nature, role, and development of imaginative play from infancy, through childhood and adolescence, and into adulthood, revealing it to be less a function of age than a characteristic expression of humanness. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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